Until The Next Time
by celtickat
Summary: A little bit of GABBY fluff.  For an observant man sometime Gibbs misses the obvious.


UNTIL THE NEXT TIME

A/N this is a GABBY one shot that came to while writing Something Sinister, it didn't really fit with that story so I've written it as a one shot. Hope you like it.

"You wanna tell me what I've done wrong?"

Gibbs stood in the doorway of Abby's apartment.

Abby's eyes narrowed as she scowled at her visitor. When she tried to close the door on him, he was quicker and held it open with his hand before pushing it open again and stepping inside.

"Not everything is about you Gibbs"

Gibbs looked at her, raising one eyebrow.

Abby threw her hands in the air and walked through to the kitchen.

Gibbs followed her, leaning on the door frame, watching her make coffee, a concerned look on his face.

"so if it's not me, are you gonna tell me what or who it is?"

"What or who it is that what?"

"that's got you so upset" Gibbs was getting exasperated

"nothing and nobody, jeez, can't a person have an off day?"

Gibbs looked at her

"Ok, an off week, couple of weeks, what does it matter?"

Gibbs silently accepted the coffee Abby thrust into his hands, turned and left the kitchen.

Abby followed him, incredulous when she saw him kick off his shoes and sit down "What are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable"

"GIBBS!"

"You want me to leave, you talk"

Abby gave him her version of the Gibbs stare, when he didn't break eye contact, she turned grabbed her coat and left the apartment.

Gibbs was surprised at her reaction, on the drive over he had imagined numerous scenarios but this was not one of them. His gut told him to stay where he was so he settled down to finish his coffee.

Hours later a slightly drunk Abby got out a cab outside her apartment, spotting Gibbs car still parked up she was secretly pleased but forced a look of annoyance onto her face.

Making sure to be a noisy as possible she went into her home.

"Still here?" she asked flippantly

Gibbs gave her his 'I'm annoyed' look which had absolutely no effect.

"Sit"

"it's my house Gibbs, you can't order me around in here"

"SIT. DOWN." Gibbs tone held a warning that even inebriated and defiant, Abby did not, could not ignore.

She sat on the edge of the sofa, Gibbs hid a small smile.

"Talk" his voice had lost the commanding tone.

"It's nothing"

Gibbs stayed silent, Abby refused to look at him.

"nothing you can fix"

She could feel Gibbs eyes boring into her.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the alcohol coursing through her system making her tongue loosen.

"sometimes my imagination runs away from me and I start believing I can have something I can't, it bothers me for a while, then I get over it"

"until the next time"

"until the next time" she agreed.

"so, is it a what or a who?"

"Don't go there Gibbs"

"If it's a what, I'll get it for you, a who might be a bit trickier, but I'll try if it'll make you happy"

Abby smiled for the first time that night, possibly the first time that week.

"Rule 12" Abby's voice was hardly more than a whisper.

Gibbs was surprised by the strength of the jealousy that threatened to overwhelm him "Abs, you know that doesn't really apply to you, besides if he's in the office it'll make it easier to keep an eye on him"

Abby laughed, "Gibbs, are you jealous?" "you are!"

Still laughing Abby muttered "jealous of yourself, deep"

When she realised she spoken that last comment out loud, her eyes went wide and she stared at Gibbs, willing him not to have heard.

It took a second for her words to filter through, when he understand he looked at her, his eyes just as wide.

"I….ah…I should not have said that…." Her voice was bordering on panic.

Gibbs closed the gap between them, putting his finger on her lips to stop her talking. He searched her face for any hint that she didn't mean what she was saying, all he saw was a heady mixture of hope and fear.

Unable to take the scrutiny Abby closed her eyes. Gibbs took his finger from her lips and traced a line down her jaw, stopping at he chin to gently lift her face. She forced herself to open her eyes.

"I've always been yours Abs"

Their lips met, slow, gentle, tentative, almost as if they were giving each other a final chance to walk away.

It soon became apparent that neither of them were going anywhere and Abby knew there wouldn't be a "next time".


End file.
